Dingo
Canid species native to Australia / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The dingo (either included in the species Canis familiaris,[2][5][6][7][8] or considered one of the following independent taxa: Canis familiaris dingo,[4][9][10] Canis dingo,[11][12][13] or Canis lupus dingo[14][15]) is an ancient (basal) lineage of dog[11][16][17] found in Australia.[18][5] Its taxonomic classification is debated as indicated by the variety of scientific names presently applied in different publications. It is variously considered a form of domestic dog not warranting recognition as a subspecies, a subspecies of dog or wolf, or a full species in its own right.
Dingo | |
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Kakadu National Park NT | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Order: | Carnivora |
Family: | Canidae |
Genus: | Canis |
Species: | |
Subspecies: | C. l. dingo |
Trinomial name | |
Canis lupus dingo | |
Distribution of the dingo: dingoes south of the dingo fence (black line) may have a higher prevalence of hybridisation | |
Synonyms | |
Canis familiaris Linnaeus, 1758[2] |
The dingo is a medium-sized canine that possesses a lean, hardy body adapted for speed, agility, and stamina. The dingo's three main coat colourations are light ginger or tan, black and tan, or creamy white.[18][19] The skull is wedge-shaped and appears large in proportion to the body.[18] The dingo is closely related to the New Guinea singing dog:[11] their lineage split early from the lineage that led to today's domestic dogs,[20][21][22] and can be traced back through Maritime Southeast Asia to Asia.[1] The oldest remains of dingoes in Australia are around 3,500 years old.
A dingo pack usually consists of a mated pair, their offspring from the current year, and sometimes offspring from the previous year.[23]